Dredging-machine



y 2Sheets-8hee`t 1. J. MGUIRE &.W..A. ALEXANDER.

y Dredging-Machine.

No. 224,197. Pat/ented Feb. 3, 1880.

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WITNBSSBS: NvENToR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS.'PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. irc.

To au whom it may concern:

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UNITED i STATES f PATENT OFFICE.

`JOHN MAGIIIEE- ANDWILLIAM A. ALEXANDER, 0E MOBILE, ALABAMA.

nREpeiNG-MACH NE.

SPECIFICATION arming partfof Letters recent 116.224,19@ dated February 3, 1880.

` Y hApplication'iled June 25,1879.

Be it known that `we,JOHN MAGUIREand WILLIAM. A. ALExANDEE, of Mobile, inthe county of Mobile and Stateof Alabama, have invented a new andlmprovedDredging Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our .improvements relate to vessels and ap-` paratus for river and harbor dredging wherein pumps are made use of for elevating the material from the bottom. `We make use of a vessel of suitable dimensions, formed with a central well and water ballast compartments, whereby the vessel may be sunk to the bottom. The vessel is also trted with pumping apparatus, whereby the water in the space inclosed by the well is first to be pumped out, and the Inud, sand, &c., of the bottom then pumped out to the desired depth. vWithin the wellof the vessel is a frame fitted for being raised and lowered, and carrying dischargenozzles of a second pumping apparatus, whereby streams of .water are discharged for agtating the mud,

&c.,-and rendering it semi-liquid, so that it' may be pumped out. These discharge-nozzles are fitted upon carriers that are movable upon slideways, whereby all portions of the inclosed bottom may be subjected to the action of the water.

Ihe invention consists in the combination, with the discharge-pumpmof the force-pumps and nozzles, and certain details of construction 4and combination, whereby the Work of dred ging in deep and shallow water is expeditiously accomplished, all of which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Y Figure l is a planview of a vessel and apparatus 4constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 'spondin g parts.

The apparatus shown is more especially adapted for operations in shallow water and in comparatively unexposed situations.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, Ais a vessel of suit-able dimensions, formed with a central well, a, and with water-ballast compartments b at the sides and ends. of the vessel, at the outside, is a downwardly- Around the bottom- 1 by braces, which rim, whenthe vessel is sunk, enters the mud or sand and excludes water -from the vessel a. Within the well' a is fitted a fra-me or casing, B, preferably constructed of v boiler-iron, and adapted for being raised or lowere'dwithin the wellV by chains and gearing in any-suitable manner. Between the frame B. and the sides'of the well a friction-rollers d are fitted.- y Y Within the frame B, near the bottom, a pipe, c, is iitted, which pipe extends lengthwise of thevessel, and yis supported bya rod, f, at each end, for the purpose of permitting vertical adjustment of the pipe e. The rods f pass through fixed sockets g, and are fitted at their upper ends each with a nut, g. In the under side of the pipe e there are nozzles h, and from one end of e a flexible pipe, i, extends to the dischargepumps k, that are fitted upon the deck of the Vessel j. Z is the discharge-pipe ofthe pump k.v

Upon the top of 4frame B, or upon supporting-timbers' providedfor the purpose, carriers G are ftted, which consist of a frame, m, at each side of the vessel, fitted with flanged suppbrting-rollersn and connected by a cross-bar, O. At each end of the vessel is a cross-shaft, p, carrying grooved rollers orchain-wheels for endless ropes or chains r, that are attached toV the frames m of the carriers, so that by revolution of shafts p the carriers Care caused to travel lengthwise of the vessel A in either direction, as desired.

To the cross-bar O of each carrier C there are affixed tubular sockets s, through which pass the rigid pipes t.. These pipes-t are capable of vertical adjustment in sockets s, whereby their lower ends can b e brought nearer to or farther from the bottom of' the river, and are retained in position within the sockets by setscrews.. The pipes are each connected by a flexible pipe, u, with the force-pumps w, and a pipe, c, from the pumps w extends over the side of the vessel intoithe water, so that water may be pumped up and discharged by the pipes t within the space inclosed by the well a.

In operation, the vessel A is iioated to the desired place, and then, by admitting water to thepcompartments b, it is sunk to the bottom. The pumps 7c are then operated, and the water within the inclosed space drawn out by l projecting rim, c, of boiler-iron, strengthened Y.

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'The material raised by the pumps 7a will be dis charged into a scoW at the side of the vessel A, and the frame will be gradually lowered until the bottom is excavated to the depth desired, after which suicient of thev water-ballast will be pumped out to permit of floating the vessel to another place.

During the dredging operations the carriers C are moved upon their supports so as to subzo ject all parts of the inclosed bottom to the action of the water discharged by pipes t.

The vessel is to be fitted with engines for driving the pumps and operating the carriers.

In some cases the dredging may be accomplished by lowering the frame B without sinking the vessel.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In dredging apparatus, the combination, with the vessel A. having a welha, and provided With the suction or discharge pump 7c and force-pump or, of the adjustable frame or casing` B, carrying the suction-pipe e and discharge pipes or nozzles t, that are separately connected with the pumps, substantially as and for the purposes specified. i

2. In dredging apparatus, in combination with the vessel A and inner movable frame, B, the movable carriers C and discharge pipes or nozzles substantially as and for the purposes specied.

JOHN MAGUIRE. \VILLIAM ANTHONY ALEXANDER.

Witnesses JOHN A. BAIRD, S. LEVY. 

